An Artful Camaraderie: Member-owned and operated Archway Gallery celebrates its fiftieth anniversary

Fifty years ago, on April 1, 1976, Dada artist Max Ernst passed away; Steve Jobs launched Apple Computer; and in Houston, 12 artists opened Archway Gallery in the Jung Center. They had no idea how successful their venture would be; they just wanted a place to show and sell their work. From the start, the gallery was a cooperative venture, with members sharing the work and the expenses.

Now, Archway is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with Fifty Forward, a group show featuring its 34 member artists, with a reception from 5–8 p.m. on April 11. The exhibition runs April 4–30. As a nod to its founding location, the group show Homecoming at the Jung Center will feature works by current and former members. Coordinated by members Cookie Wells and Shirl Riccetti, Homecoming runs March 4–April 14, with a public reception from 5–7 p.m. on March 14.

One of Archway’s founding members, Janet Hassinger, was on her way to New Mexico in the mid-1970s when her car broke down in Houston. She had left New England because there were no jobs, but in Houston, the oil boom was in full swing, and she found a job so she could fix her car. Hassinger began selling her paintings at the Westheimer Art Festival and other street fairs, and subsequently met Marianne Hornbuckle, Stephanie Nadolski, and Hilary Page. Page suggested they pool their resources and rent a space to display their work permanently. They leased a gallery in the Jung Center and named their venture after the building’s arches.

“It was such a learning experience,” Hassinger said. “We had to figure out how to design and print invitations, market our work, and so much more. Looking back, I realize how important those years with Archway were to launching my career.”

The gallery remained in the Jung Center until August 1980. After operating at two other locations, it moved to the River Oaks Center and later relocated to its current location on Dunlavy. I first visited Archway Gallery in the River Oaks Center, where ceramic artist  V. Chin welcomed me. I was impressed by the gallery’s professionalism and quality of work.

Benefits of membership include a solo exhibition every 30 months, a designated area to display work, and a lower commission on sales than most galleries. Monthly dues cover rent and expenses, and members work in the gallery, so there is always an artist on site to welcome visitors.

“It’s remarkable for any gallery to be around for 50 years, let alone an artist-owned gallery,” said Archway Director Harold Joiner. “And last year was our best yet.” He joined in 2012 and, as director, assigns responsibilities to members based on their strengths and experience. “We have business meetings the day before our monthly exhibitions, at which time we reinstall the galleries.”

Treasurer John Slaby, who joined in 1996, is responsible for Archway’s active music programming. “We have had about 200 performances over the past decade,” he said. “The program really took off in 2015 with WindSync, a quintet that still plays here on a regular basis.” Performances are free and take place on Sunday evenings. Other frequent performers include the Carya String Quartet, Opus 4 String Quartet, and Rice Jazz Ensemble.

In February 2020, Slaby launched Archway’s online store, which features a page for each artist. “It was perfect timing due to the pandemic,” he said. “Archway also has an extensive website listing exhibitions and events, news, and information on renting the gallery.” Larry Garmezy oversees a bimonthly newsletter that covers the current exhibition, artist news, and events.

Ongoing activities include figure-drawing sessions and Archway Readers. Founded in 1997 by member donna e. perkins and former member Sandra Sherrod, Archway Readers provides an outlet for local writers to share their work. Perkins has been a member for 18 years and credits her membership with sustaining her artistic practice.

Painter Becky Soria enjoys the camaraderie of working with a diverse group of artists. With Liz Spencer, Soria organizes an annual juried exhibition open to the Houston art community. Fifty percent of sales go to the artists, and the other fifty percent is donated to a worthy non-profit.

Three jewelry artists—Vanessa Parker, Cindi Hendrickson, and Mary Rogers—are represented by the gallery and host an annual jewelry show. “We usually schedule it in November,” said Parker, who has been with Archway since 2012. Their jewelry is always available in the gallery. Barbara Able serves as liaison between them and the gallery. Able joined 13 years ago, after closing her Santa Fe gallery. “After having my own gallery and doing everything myself, it was a relief to share the responsibilities,” Able said.

This division of labor appears to be a key factor in Archway’s success. Hopefully, that, along with its various activities and membership solidarity, will ensure its continued success.

—DONNA TENNANT